This is a simple travel journal to record my memories about Semarang, a capital city of Central Java-Indonesia, where I spent years of my childhood time. The articles consist of notes, video and mostly photographs compilation. Video and photographic documentations are recorded from my handy compact camera. I think I will record every interesting things about this town before the town is changed too much..........

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

PTP XV Building; and Hundred Years of its Reflection on "mBerok" River Water

Currently, the building is closely associated with polluted black water river which is existed in front of the building. Damaged asphalt road with its daily messy traffic of the 'orange microbus', a kind of urban mass transportation car are becoming day-to-day scenery around this old building. Street vendor's kiosks are stand in a row along the river bank at the opposite side of the building.

Despite most of the building details are almost in damaged and aged conditions, the remaining outline shape of the building is still reflecting its 'good-looking' appearance in the past time. There is a facade signage of PTP XV that is still embedded in the building entry canopy that identifying previous building owner. Actually, a severe damage is happened and it made one of its twin towers with 'doom-like roof' is already collapsed and the building have lost its original symmetrical shape.

History noted that this building is built during Dutch Colonial Era and originally owned by Cultuur Mij der Vorstenlanden NV before PT Perkebunan XV (PTP XV), a government-owned company took over the building ownership.

The black water river always reflects half of building shapes, since the slum kiosks are also reflected as well to cover reflection of the lower parts of the building. Wild plants are already grew on building roof and corner-end side of the building. After hundred of years, it seem the building is already end up to its old days, inline with changes of the urban landscape around the old city conservation area.